[RL with Lancer - you will have a social life, damn you.]

[unknownrival]

It was a wonderful gift to just have a temple and be able to drag anyone he wanted to it with no questions asked by the monks - all of them knew about the strangeness of the community by now, so one man in armor barely raised eyebrows amongst them.

Issei racketed through a closet full of clothes, occasionally pulling out sets he thought were in Lancer's size. "Let's see... The selection is more limited than I'd remembered, but you should have a decent choice of what to wear from these. My apologies, I thought there were more."

Comments

[croibhristeoir]

Lancer had calmed down notably by the time Issei's attention was focused on him again. He still stood with a sort of rigid formality, but he'd finally lowered his hand from the mark on his face. When he spoke again, his voice was calm and steady.

"I'm not quite sure why you're making this into such a serious matter."

[stripping.livejournal.com]

"It's not a serious matter. We are relaxing and having fun," Issei pronounced in the same serious tone he had been using all evening. He then cracked more of a smile. "But honestly, I just want to do everything I can when it's in my power."

[croibhristeoir]

"I thank you for the sentiment, but I must assure you it's entirely unnecessary."

[stripping.livejournal.com]

"Maybe." Issei left it at that. "So what would you like to talk about, if the poor working conditions of a Servant are off the table?"

[croibhristeoir]

"Excuse me, it's hardly 'poor working conditions'."

Just because he thought it was true didn't make it so.

[stripping.livejournal.com]

"It's still hardly discussion material for a first date, and before you say anything that was an ill-advised joke."

Sigh.

"What did you do in your free time when you had free time?"

[croibhristeoir]

"..."

If any facial expression could say his hobby was 'running for my life', that one did.

[stripping.livejournal.com]

"The slightest moment of free time, Lancer."

[croibhristeoir]

"...Either spent with my fellow knights, running for my life, or spending it with my family. In that order."

[stripping.livejournal.com]

"I can work with that. What did you tend to do with your fellow knights and family?"

Issei was going to make friends if it killed him.

[croibhristeoir]

"Fighting, drinking, the usual to be expected among knights. As far as my family goes, our life was remarkably peaceful--at least for a while."

[stripping.livejournal.com]

"I'm not very much good at drinking." An understatement. Issei allowed himself a small laugh. "I'm better at fighting, but not by much, certainly not compared to a knight."

[croibhristeoir]

"I certainly wouldn't ask you to keep pace with a Servant on either count." Lancer laughed quietly as well--rigid posture or not, he seemed somewhat less tense now.

[stripping.livejournal.com]

"And I shall hope I never have occasion to."

Well, that was a start! Issei too was a little more at ease.

[croibhristeoir]

"Glad to hear it."

A slight, awkward smile crossed his face at that.

[stripping.livejournal.com]

Yes! Progress!

Issei felt like fistpumping. Instead he merely smiled and went on, "What do you think of the temple?"

[croibhristeoir]

"It's...different, I can say that much. I don't believe we had much like this back at home. And I've not yet been in this part of Fuyuki for very long, never mind that I'm uncertain about how much it's changed--will change, I mean."

[stripping.livejournal.com]

"This half of Fuyuki, unlike the other half, is remarkably like it was ten years ago. The only new and different thing in the temple is that its head monk has changed recently."

Preening would be unbecoming of a monk.

[croibhristeoir]

"I see. I didn't investigate the city itself very thoroughly, just a general search for other Servants. I suppose ultimately I've not been around very long."

[stripping.livejournal.com]

"Relax a little for the moment, then. It is a beautiful city, in my opinion, but I'm biased."

[croibhristeoir]

"I'm quite relaxed."

As close as he'd get, anyway.

"I preferred my home country, but I admit it is a nice location."

[stripping.livejournal.com]

"Where are you from?" Issei asked, forgetting momentarily the 'Servants are secret' thing.

[croibhristeoir]

"Let us just say that 'far away' is a safe enough answer for now."

[stripping.livejournal.com]

"Ah, right, that whole 'secrecy' part, I'd almost forgotten so quickly."

[croibhristeoir]

"I don't really like hiding my name, but my Master's wish is to preserve secrecy in this war. Didn't stop Saber from figuring it out, but she's clever."